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Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists? (2018)
A Report by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group 238, Sidhartha Enclave, New Delhi - 110014, India Email: info@chintan-india.org Phone: +91-11-46574171 or 46574172 Website: www.chintan-india.org About Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group We are a registered non-pro it organization with a vision of inclusive, sustainable, and equitable growth for all. Our mission is to reduce ecological footprints and increase environmental justice through systemic change brought about through partnerships, capacity building at the grassroots, advocacy and research, and sustainable, scalable models on the ground. Editorial Team Bharati Chaturvedi, Imran Khan, Chitra Mukherjee Richa Chaturvedi, Amitaayu Varma Copyright notice © Copyright 2016, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group Please feel free to use the information here to promote environmental, economic and social justice. We urge you to quote this report when you use the information in it and inform us if possible.
Table of Contents
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
I. Introduction 6
II. Who are the wastepickers and what does the law say about them? 9
III. Wastepickers in Delhi 14
IV. What value do they bring to Delhi? Why are they important? 19
V. What challenges do they face? 27
VI. Good practices everywhere 37
VII. How to do it? What does it all cost? 50
VIII. Way Forward: What we Need 76
References 81
Tables
Table 1: Table: Annual savings and avoided costs on account of
informal sector activities (Cost in INR.) 20
Table 2: Global city-wise waste recovery (in tonnes and percent) 25
Table 3: City wise livelihood and employment in informal sector 26
Table 4: Ailments commonly suffered by waste pickers in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune 28
Table 5: Metrics to measure desired outcomes of the goals 52
Table 6: Communication/ training objectives with proposed frequency and media 69
Table 7: Implementation schedule to achieve objectives in a reasonable timeframe 70
Table 8: Metrics to measure annual progress report 72
3
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists Figures
Figure 1: City wise migration 15
Figure 2: Age Distribution of population involved in waste picking 16
Figure 3: Distribution of social security cards in Wastepicker Population 17
Figure 4: Reasons to choose wastepicking as an occupation 17
Figure 6: Health risks among children in wastepicking and
non-wastepicking communities 30
Figure 7: Step-by-step approach to integrating the informal sector 50
Figure 8: Partnering with stakeholders 54
Figure 9: Developing and maintaining informal sector partnerships 55
Figure 10: Assessing inclusion in formal waste management systems 58
Figure 11: Recognizing and legitimizing informal sector workers 61
Figure 12: Sample design of an MRF 63
Figure 13: Sample reporting template 71
Figure 14: Sample audit template 71
Boxes
Box 1: Wastepickers can combat Delhi’s Pollution 23
Box 2: Story of Saira Bano 29
Box 3: Occupational health hazards in sanitary workers 31
Box 4: Waste Management in NDMC areas 32
Box 5: Story of Sarita Devi 33
Box 6: Safai Sena 34
Box 7: Impact of Waste-to-Energy Plant on Wastepickes’ Livelihood 35
Box 8: Ways to support informal sector partners 56
Box 9 : NDMC launch Eco-friendly Garbage Stations in New Delhi Municipal Council 56
Box 10: The work will be undertaken following these rules: 57
Box 11: Impacts of privatization on the informal sector 57
Box 11: Assessing the feasibility of employing informal sector workers
in waste management projects 59
Box 12: Terms and Conditions Assessment Checklist 59
Box 13: Minimizing risk of ires in waste handling facilities 65
Box 14: Ensuring occupational health and safety 66
Box 15: Establishing and operating a customer helpline 66
Box 16: Customer feedback survey 67
Box 17: Eliminating child labor in waste 68
4
Pictures
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Picture 1: Waste pickers work under hazardous conditions, without any
provisions for health security or otherwise 6
Picture 2: Providing waste pickers training on how to compost will enable
decentralized waste treatment 8
Picture 3: Waste pickers ef iciently managing waste at the
Great Indian Gol Chakkar Carnival, 2016 11
Picture 4: Pro ile of an average wastepicker 18
Picture 5: Chintan and Safai Sena’s wastepickers at the New Delhi Railway Station 38
Picture 6: Neatly segregated waste in Kolar, Karnataka. 40
Picture 7: Wastepickers from SWaCH, a co-operative in Pune 42
Picture 8: Wastepicker women from Hasiru Dala, a cooperative in
Bengaluru, Karnataka 44
Picture 9: Chintan’s e-waste drive 46
Picture 10: Order from Bhopal Nagar Nigam 48
Picture 11: Sample identi ication card 64
5
I. Introduction
India’s waste woes: India is drowning under the planet: land ills contaminate ground
its own waste. Recent estimates suggest water irreversibly, and cancer clusters are
that per capita waste generation is currently often found near them. Waste to energy
0.57kg/day and is expected to double by plants release toxics like dioxins, which
2025. Land ills are illed, waste-to-energy is are amongst the 12 most deadly chemicals
polluting the air and waste lies uncollected. poised for a global phase out. Flies breed on
This is a huge impact on human health and waste, and spread disease. And waste illed
Picture 1: Waste pickers work under hazardous conditions, without any provisions for health security or
otherwise
6
drains result in backlogs and accompanying are inclusive of waste-pickers exist, they are
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
sanitation based illnesses. Over 3% of hardly ever implemented. Allowing waste-
India’s greenhouse gas emissions are on picker organizations to provide doorstep
account of poor waste management. waste collection services and charging user
fees from service consumers enabling them
Finally, waste is often seen as materials
to provide better services and monitor
misplaced. Judicious waste management
service delivery, would go a long way in
impacts how materials are saved, reused
strengthening this informal sector, providing
and the environment protected. For
green clean livelihoods and addressing
example, improved collection and recycling
roadside dumping of waste.
is directly linked with saving metals from
being mined and importing pulp for paper. Another worrying fact is the lack of
segregation of waste at source not only
India is urbanizing rapidly. Without
puts the health of waste handlers at risk,
putting into place key this situation will
only worsen-making the quality of life but it also does not allow for optimal
signi icantly worse for urban and rural waste processing and treatment solutions.
denizens. Further, by contaminating recyclable and
compostable waste materials, it reduces
Things would be worse if it was not for the their potential value in the market. Hence
informal recycling sector-waste-pickers, source segregation of waste should be
kabaris and recyclers. In Delhi, 150,000 such mandatory.
persons recycle at least 2000 tons of paper,
plastic, metals and glass daily. They save the Over 50 percent of the waste produced
municipality upto a crore a day. A Chintan is organic or wet waste that is easily
study shows this group saves 3.6 more times compostable. While there are composting
greenhouse gases in Delhi alone, compared plants in urban cities, there are a few
to any other waste project in India problems with them. Some of them do
receiving carbon credits. Unfortunately, not produce compost that is of a good
they are treated like the waste they handle- enough quality because of lack of adequate
stigmatized and brutalized by society. segregation of waste. Others that do
Their health suffers and they suffer bites, produce compost of acceptable quality often
allergies and humiliation by the municipal do not have markets for that compost.
authorities.
Composting is one of the lowest cost waste
Challenges and Solutions to cleaning urban management solutions. Bulk organic waste
cities: Waste-pickers provide important generators such as temples, hotels and
waste collection, segregation and recycling large restaurants should have their own
services that contribute to cleaning our composting system in place or should
city. Unfortunately, there has been a trend pay for composting and/or buy-back the
to outsource waste management services compost produced. Individual composting
to private irms across India. In many can help reduce the waste burden on the
instances, this displaces waste-pickers, city. Contrary to popular belief, if done
takes away their livelihoods and pushes right, compost doesn’t have smell or
them into even deeper levels of poverty. breed lies and insect. Those households
Even though many policies and rules that that have space and the means to set
7
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists up such systems should be encouraged It is therefore imperative that waste-
to do so. Decentralized composting at pickers be included in waste management
the neighborhood level can also help systems in cities which shall not only let
dramatically reduce the waste burden the cities comply with established rules
on the city. Additionally, in contrast to and policies, but also ensure stable, safe
centralized composting systems, much of and secure livelihoods of a large section
the compost produced in a decentralized of the urban poor, thus securing their
manner can be used locally in public parks trust in and support for the municipal
or by households that have gardens in the governments.
neighborhood.
Picture 2: Providing waste pickers training on how to compost will enable decentralized waste treatment
8
II. Who are the wastepickers and
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
what does the law say about them?
Who is a wastepicker of individuals voluntarily engaged or
authorised for picking of recyclable plastic
Waste pickers, the general term adopted
waste [Rule 3(z)].
by the 1st World Conference of Waste
Pickers in 2008, can range from people Various Indian national policies have clearly
working on dumps or rummaging through recognized the informal recycling sector
garbage on the streets, to informal private through referring to them and their work, as
collectors of recyclables who sell to follows:
middlemen or businesses or transform ● The National Action Plan for Climate
waste into new products. Some of them are Change, 2009, states, “While the informal
organized pickers/sorters linked to unions, sector is the backbone of India’s highly
cooperatives or associations.1 successful recycling system, unfortunately
According to the Solid Waste Management a number of municipal regulations
Rules, 2016, “waste picker” means a person impede the operation of the recyclers,
or groups of persons informally engaged owing to which they remain at a tiny scale
in collection and recovery of reusable and without access to inance or improved
recyclable solid waste from the source of recycling technologies” This is part of the
waste generation the streets, bins, material Mission on Urban Sustainability.
recovery facilities, processing and waste ● The CAG Audit on Municipal Solid
disposal facilities for sale to recyclers Waste in India (December 2008) also
directly or through intermediaries to earn recommends (Chapter 3, Section 3.5)
their livelihood [Rule 3(1) (58)]. that “MOEF/states should consider
Further, according to the Plastic Waste providing legal recognition to rag pickers
Management Rules, 2016, “waste pickers” so that recycling work becomes more
mean individuals or agencies, groups organized and also ensure better working
conditions for them.”
1 Waste Pickers - The right to be recognized as workers,
Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and ● The National Environment Policy, 2006,
Organizing, June 2013. Available at: http://wiego.org/
sites/wiego.org/ iles/resources/ iles/WIEGO-Waste- which states “Give legal recognition
Pickers-Position-Paper.pdf to, and strengthen the informal sector
9
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists systems of collection and recycling of – Ten percent of waste produced in India
various materials. In particular enhance can be reused or recycled. Part of it is
their access to institutional inance and collected by wastepickers and the rest
relevant technologies." (Section 5.2.8, goes to the land ills. Recycling can be
point (e), Pg 36) encouraged by promoting recycling
● The Supreme Court accepted industry through incentives like land
recommendations of the Report of the allotment, power, water on priority, tax
Committee constituted by the Supreme holiday, preferential purchase of recycled
Court in 1999 (Solid Waste Management products by government and semi-
in Class 1 Cities in India). According to government bodies.
this report, in points 3.4.7 (Pg 34) and
• Bajaj Committee:
Pgs 3.4.8, rag pickers must be converted
into doorstep waste collectors as a means This 1995 High Power Committee on Urban
of up gradation. Solid Waste Management in India was
created by the Planning Commission, the
highest policy-making body of the Indian
National Committees
Government, soon after the 1994 plague
There have been several committees in
outbreak. It was headed by Prof. B.S Bajaj,
the past years that have recognized the
who was a member of the Planning
importance of including the waste recycling
Commission. The Bajaj Committee made
sector into mainstream activities. All of
speci ic space in the waste management
these favour the rights of waste pickers to
framework for the informal sector. This
access waste.
was in sharp contrast to the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi’s ban on the work of
• Asim Burman Committee:
waste pickers during and after the plague.
This was constituted by the Supreme Court Some of the recommendations included:
as part of the Public Interest Litigation
Almitra Patel Vs The Union of India. The – Replacing the informal sector scavenging
committee was headed by Mr. Asim Burman, from roadside dumps and disposal
Municipal Commissioner, Calcutta Municipal grounds by organised ward-level
Corporation, March 1999. This important recycling and recovery centres, which
committee clearly underscored the work could be managed by NGOs working with
of the recycling sector and its rights waste pickers. Municipal authorities
over waste. It made certain far reaching could also employ waste pickers for this.
recommendations with regard to recycling It is therefore clear that various policies
and the informal sector. These included: have been consistently in favour of recycling
– Organizing wastepickers to collect by the informal sector, speci ically, the waste
recyclable waste from shops and pickers. However, these have been ignored
establishments. It also acknowledged in plans of privatization and waste to energy,
that these wastepickers help reduce including the new urban renewal plans.
the burden of Urban Local Bodies body
by several million rupees annually in Regional Legislation
collection, transport and disposal cost There have been many instances of
and saving of land ill space. progressive regional legislation.
10• Ahmedabad: cooperatives formed by the rag pickers
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Paper waste from of ices is expected to be to collect dry waste.
handed over to women waste pickers. – If the city has a waste processing unit,
the waste collected by the rag pickers
• Maharashtra: should be used for the same or the rag
The order of the Government of pickers should have the freedom to sell it
Maharashtra; Water Supply and Sanitation in the market. This will provide income
Department. Government Circular No: to the rag pickers and help improve their
Ghakavya 1001/ Pra. Kra 546/ Papu-22 living standard.
Mantralaya Mumbai : 5 January, 2002 states – Civic authorities/ NGOs should issue
that : identi ication cards to the registered rag
– The unorganized rag pickers collecting pickers. This will enable the citizens to
waste in different parts of the city should recognise the registered rag pickers.
be organized with the help of the non- – The civic authority/ NGO should allot a
government organizations and register speci ic place, as per the situation, and
a cooperative. The local self-government give the task to the registered rag pickers
should take an initiative to get these or their organizations to collect waste
cooperatives registered. Registered rag from 250-300 homes.
pickers organization should be allotted – The task of collecting bio-Medical waste
the work of collecting waste in the and polluted/ toxic waste should not
city parts/wards with the help of non- be allotted to the rag pickers. Civic
government organizations. authorities should make provisions for
– While allotting work to these collecting general waste and bio medical
cooperatives to collect waste from waste separately and storing it and
various places in the city, the citizens disposing it and monitor it effectively.
should be informed of this method.
Also discussions should
be held with non-
government organizations,
eminent citizens, Mahila
Mandals and people’s
representatives.
– Those rag pickers who
have not registered in
the cooperative, can also
be, under exceptional
circumstances, allowed
to collect waste on an
individual basis after
registering themselves.
– The civic authority should
Picture 3: Waste pickers ef iciently managing waste at the Great
give preference to the Indian Gol Chakkar Carnival, 2016
11Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists What do laws and policies say about them? • Acknowledge the primary role
Various laws, policies and committees, played by the informal sector of
way back since 1995, have stressed on waste pickers, waste collectors
the importance of including the informal and recycling industry in reducing
sector wastepickers in the formal waste waste and provide broad guidelines
management system. The revised Solid regarding integration of wastepicker
Waste Management Rules, 2016 now or informal waste collectors in the
lay down clear directions to various waste management system.
stakeholders as far as their duties are • Start a scheme on registration of
concerned. According to the revised SWM waste pickers and waste dealers.
Rules, 2016:
3. Under duties and responsibilities
1. Under duties of waste generators of local authorities and village
[Rule 4]: Panchayats of census towns and
urban agglomerations [Rule 15]:
• Responsibilities of waste generators
have been introduced to segregate and • Establish a system to recognize
store the waste generated by them organizations of waste pickers
in three separate streams namely or informal waste collectors and
bio-degradable i.e. wet waste, non- promote and establish a system
biodegradable i.e. dry waste (Plastic, for integration of these authorized
Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic waste-pickers and waste collectors to
hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, facilitate their participation in solid
empty containers of cleaning agents, waste management including door to
mosquito repellents, etc.) in suitable door collection of waste.
bins and hand over segregated wastes
• Direct waste generators not to litter
to authorized waste pickers or waste
i.e throw or dispose of any waste
collectors.
such as paper, water bottles, liquor
2. Under duties of Department of Urban bottles, soft drink canes, tetra packs,
Development in States and Union fruit peel, wrappers, etc., or burn or
Territories [Rule 11]: burry waste on streets, open public
spaces, drains, waste bodies and
• They have been directed to
to segregate the waste at source as
prepare a state policy and solid
prescribed under these rules and
waste management strategy for
hand over the segregated waste to
the state or the union territory in
authorized the waste pickers or
consultation with stakeholders
waste collectors.
including representative of waste
pickers, self-help group and similar • Setup material recovery facilities
groups working in the ield of waste or secondary storage facilities
management consistent with these with suf icient space for sorting
rules, national policy on solid waste of recyclable materials to enable
management and national urban informal or authorized waste
sanitation policy of the ministry of pickers and waste collectors to
urban development. separate recyclables from the waste
12and provide easy access to waste ‘And whereas to implement these rules
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
pickers and recyclers for collection more effectively and to give thrust on plastic
of segregated recyclable waste such waste minimization, source segregation,
as paper, plastic, metal, glass, textile recycling, involving waste pickers, recyclers
from the source of generation or from and waste processors in collection of plastic
material recovery facilities. waste fraction either from households
• Provide training on solid waste or any other source of its generation or
management to waste-pickers and intermediate material recovery facility
waste collectors. and adopt polluter’s pay principle for the
sustainability of the waste management
The introductory paragraphs of the revised system…’
Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016,
also stress upon the need of including the Therefore it is clear that policy on solid
wastepickers in waste management from waste management has been in favour
households or any other source of waste of creating an enabling environment for
generation, as follows; waste pickers and to a lesser extent, for
reprocessors via improved technologies.
13III. Wastepickers in Delhi
India’s rapidly growing population directly form the ‘informal’ waste recycling sector,
leads to an increase in waste generation in since they are not formally organized or
the country. A 2014 report by the erstwhile enumerated as a part of the formal economy.
Planning Commission claims that 62 million In India, estimates suggest that there are
tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated about 15 lakh people who make their living
annually by 377 million people in 7,935 by recovering, sorting and selling recyclable
urban centers of India. This is projected materials.4 These waste pickers constitute
to increase to 165 million tonnes by 2031 the bottom layer of waste recycling pyramid
and 436 million tonnes in 2050.2 This of a city.
burgeoning waste of our cities is managed
by silent crusaders of environment called A survey of six cities has shown that
waste pickers. Approximately one percent the informal sector recycles as much as
of the total urban population (at least 15 66 percent of solid waste in cities.5 Of icially,
million people) in developing countries Delhi generates 8,360 tonnes per day (tpd)
earns its livelihood by collecting and sorting of municipal solid waste (Some sources
waste informally.3 Waste pickers collect claim it to be 8,500 tpd6). Waste generation
waste, including plastics, metals, cardboard, is projected to touch 17,000-25,000 tpd
etc and sell it to itinerant buyers and
kabariwallas, who sort out this waste and
sell it further to waste traders and recyclers. 4 Involving waste-pickers to improve door-to-door
collection, in Compendium of Good Practices in Urban
The waste pickers, waste recyclers, Solid Waste Management. Available at:
kabariwallas and junk dealers together http://www.swachcoop.com/pdf/
wastepickerstoimprovedoor-to-doorcollection.pdf
5 GTZ/CWG 2011, The Economics of the Informal Sector in
2 Report of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (Vol 1) 2014, Solid Waste Management. Available at: http://www.giz.de/
Planning Commission, New Delhi, May, p ii. Available en/downloads/giz2011-cwg-booklet-economicaspects.pdf
at: http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/ 6 Minutes of the meeting on Operation of Land ill Sites and
rep_wte1205.pdf related Waste Management Projects in respect of existing
3 Martin Medina 2008, The informal recycling sector in 3 land ill sites by MCD convened at the Raj Niwas on
developing countries, in Grid Lines. Available at: https:// 17th August 2011. Available at: http://lgdelhi.nic.in/pdf/
openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/ Solid%20Wates%20Management%20by%20MCD%20
10586/472210BRI0Box31ing1sectors01PUBLIC1.pdf 17.08.2011.pdf
14by 2021.7 There are three land ills in Delhi A survey was done by CASI and Chintan
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
– Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla. Bhalswa on the state of people working in the
was commissioned in 1994, Ghazipur in informal recycling sector, and a survey on
1984 and Okhla in 1996, which are already wastepickers of Delhi (2015) conducted
saturated beyond their capacity. by Chintan in the slums of Nizzamuddin,
Bhalswa, Chaman Vihar, Takia Kale
Delhi has over 160,000 people involved in
Khan, Sihai, Vijay nagar, Gazipur, Mulla
waste-picking and waste recycling. They
Colony and Bhopura bought into focus
collect 15-20 percent of Delhi’s total waste
various aspects of the population earning
(in terms of weight) and recycle about
a livelihood in solid waste in Delhi as
2,000 tons of city’s waste every day. Waste
follows:
is collected and sorted in at least 42 distinct
categories, such as paper, newspaper,
cardboard, plastics, glass, metal, rubber, Where do they come from?
etc. Each waste picker picks at least 60 All cities except Delhi show signi icant
recyclable kg waste in a day to earn Rs domicile and in-state migrant populations
8,000-10,000 a month. in the sector. Delhi is the most diverse
with migrants coming from UP, West
7 Kartikey Handa et al 2013, Status of composting in India
with emphasis on Delhi, in International Journal for Bengal, Bihar and Assam. The table below
Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, illustrates the range of migration.
Vol 1, Issue 4, November. Available at: http://www.ijraset.
com/ ileserve.php?FID=100.
Figure 1: City wise migration
15Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists The most prominent reason for migration be literate the level of education is
stated was unemployment followed by abysmal, with an average 2 to 3 years
low income, and irregular work, showing of education. Despite poor literacy
how they move to city in hope of better rates and levels of education in those
prospects. surveyed, almost everyone agreed that
education was indeed a means to social
Figure 2: Reason for migration
development.
• What are their family Characteristics?
• Do they have Social Security?
The average size of the family is 5-6
The social security cover of
members, and the waste picking
wastepickers according to the
population is skewed towards the adult
survey is very dismal. Majority of
members of the family. Approximately
the wastepickers only have voter id
85% of the waste picking population is
cards, and only a mere 3% have BPL
above 18 years and only 15% lies in the
cards even though they live in abject
age group of 0-18 years as seen in the
poverty, which is shown in the table on
table below.
Figure 2: Age Distribution of population involved in waste picking
• Are They Educated? the next page. Hence it shows the social
security cover is not reaching this strata
On an average the literacy rate in Delhi of society.
is 55%. Among those who reported to
16Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Figure 3: Distribution of social security cards in Wastepicker Population
• Why are they Wastepickers? agricultural labour. Around 60-80 %
of respondents mentioned family and
In Delhi the average duration of work in
friends as their source of training.
this ield was reported to be 11 years,
The largest portion i.e. 32% of the
and most respondents were previously
population is in this sector because they
unemployed. Those who were previously
have no other option and this is the only
employed listed previous occupation as
means for survival for them, as shown in
labour work/ daily wage labour, feriwala
the pie chart below.
(small street vendor), sweeper and
Figure 4: Reasons to choose wastepicking as an occupation
17Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists An average wastepicker faces plethora of there are over 5,500 waste recycling units
problems in his day to day existence. The employing over 40,000 workers. These
igure below shows a pro ile of an average units are involved in trading, dismantling
person person engaged in waste collection and reprocessing glass, metal, plastics,
and recycling. cardboard, paper and electronic wastes.
Picture 4: Pro ile of an average wastepicker
A survey of informal recycling units in The informal sector recycles over 2,000 tpd
Delhi conducted by Chintan Environmental waste in Delhi. This informal waste sector in
Research and Action Group for the Delhi Delhi provides a crucial source of income to
Pollution Control Committee showed that some of the city’s poorest section.
18IV. What value do they bring to Delhi?
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Why are they important?
India’s capital, Delhi is steadily being buried recyclers, itinerant buyers, small and large
under its waste. Spread over an area of 1483 kabadis, re-processors and other waste
sq kms, the city produces over 9000 tons workers adding to a total of a 1,50,000
of waste every day. Since 1975, Delhi has strong informal sector in the capital. They
exhausted over 16 land ills, with the Okhla collect 15-20 percent of Delhi’s total waste
land ill being the most recent to inally be (in terms of weight) and 55% (in terms of
capped, more than a decade later than it’s voume) and recycle about 2,000 tons of
scheduled capping/closure. city’s waste every day.11
Of icially, Delhi generates 8,360 tonnes per Presently, Delhi’s mammoth quantities of
day (tpd) of municipal solid waste (Some waste are disposed at the two land ill sites
sources claim it to be 8,500 tpd8). But, the
real igure could be much higher as the
data sources and means of data collection
are neither clear nor up to date.9 Some data
are more than a decade old. Delhi’s waste
generation is projected to touch 17,000-
25,000 tpd by 2021.10
Delhi is estimated to be home to over 40,000
wastepickers alone. Added to this are other
8 Minutes of the meeting on Operation of Land ill Sites and
related Waste Management Projects in respect of existing
3 land ill sites by MCD convened at the Raj Niwas on of Bhalaswa and Ghazipur. New land ill sites
17th August 2011. Available at: http://lgdelhi.nic.in/pdf/ have been identi ied and a scienti ic land ill
Solid%20Wates%20Management%20by%20MCD%20
17.08.2011.pdf
is being designed for the capital.
9 Waste management 2015, Department of Environment,
Govt. of NCT of Delhi, April. Available at: http://www.delhi. 11 Who recycles your waste, Chintan Envionmental Research
gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/environment/Environment/ and Action Group. Available at: http://www.chintan-india.
Home/Environmental+Issues/Waste+Management org/documents/fact_sheets/chintan_who_recycles_your_
10 Id. at 7 waste_fact_sheet.pdf
19Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists Waste management is an expensive task to aspects of a city, we have examined it in three
conduct. Centralize SWM such as waste-to- distinct categories of economic, environment
energy plants and large scale compost plants and livelihoods.
require millions to construct and operate.
The municipal corporation spends Rs 750 Economic
crore per annum, of which 80 percent is on The economic bene its are seen as the savings
waste collection and transportation, and that the city or citizens privately have accrued
only the balance 20 percent on disposal.12 on account of the work of the sector. It is
important to note that there are several ways
The diagram alongside explains brie ly the
by which this can be viewed, but the most
hierarchy of waste workers normally found
accepted indicator is that of avoided costs.
in urban areas. Wastepickers typically collect
waste from garbage stations, residences, Municipal Savings
alongside roads etc. Wastepickers do not
• In Delhi alone, the waste pickers save
pay for the waste they collect. Thiawalas are
the municipal corporation at least
waste workers with a small space, where
Rs 1.7 crore a day in terms of labour
they sort waste they buy from wastepickers
cost only because of their free civic
or cycle kabadis. Small and large kabadis
service and no minimum wage from
own spaces to store and sort the waste they
the civic body.
buy. Recyclers purchase waste from small
and big kabadis for processing. • The 15 lakh waste pickers across the
nation save municipalities over Rs.
For a better understanding of the 54.75 crore annually.
contribution of wastepickers to various
The table below is summarized from a global
12 Rozita Singh 2013, Exploring the potential of decentralised study of 6 cities and re lects a universal
solid waste management in New Delhi, TERI University.
Available at: http://saahas.org/wp-content-saahas/
trend of positive avoided costs on account of
uploads/2015/02/SWMindia9.pdf the work of the informal sector.
Table 1: Table: Annual savings and avoided costs on account of informal sector activities
(Cost in INR.)
City Avoided costs Avoided costs Total avoided Value created per
for collection for disposal costs for disposal informal livelihood
Cairo 752,916,900 129,911,700 882,828,600 26,779
Cluj 3,586,800 244,000 3,830,800 1,159
Lima 883,109,200 78,147,100 961,262,400 85,949
Lusaka 89,163,700 591,700 89,761,500 187,026
Pune 116,217,200 19,099,100 135,316,300 15,311
Quezon City 204,691,600 52,100,100 256,785,600 25,437
Total/Avg. 2,049,685,400 280,093,700 2,329,785,200 34,831
Source: Scheinberg, Anne, Michael H. Simpson, et al (2010): “Economic Aspects of the Informal Sector in
Solid Waste.” GTZ (German Technical Cooperation), Eschborn, Germany.
20Looking at the system in this way, it resource extraction, transportation,
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
appears that the informal sector in Lusaka processing, and manufacturing. Waste is
creates a bene it of more than Rs. 1, 87,000 increasingly being identi ied as a source
per person, but in Cluj that value is only of GHG emissions and climate change
Rs. 1,159. However, on average, the 66,000 by various developed and developing
informal livelihoods in the six cities provide countries.
a collective bene it of Rs. 2 billion per year,
Wastes taken to land ills decompose
or about Rs. 34,770 per person. In some
under anaerobic conditions caused by
cities this bene it is more than the informal
microbial activity. Microbial communities
sector persons actually earn, meaning that
contain methane-producing bacteria.
they create as much value for their cities as
As the microbes gradually decompose
they do for themselves.
organic matter, a land ill gas is generated.
In India, we often discount the economic It comprises methane (approximately
bene its from the informal sector as 50 percent), carbon dioxide
this is not of icially computed. However, (approximately 50 percent), and other
savings to municipalities as wastepickers trace amounts of gaseous compounds (<
are able to segregate and divert the 1 percent). The gradual decay of carbon
waste to up to 20%, saves expenditure stock in a land ill generates emissions
on both transportation and on paying for even after waste disposal has ceased. This
waste collection, where there are private is because the chemical and biochemical
contractors. While there are no reliable reactions take time to progress and only
statistics on the bene its of recycling, it a small amount of the carbon contained
is reasonable to assume that reducing in waste is emitted in the year this waste
extraction, transportation etc also has a is disposed. The presence of greenhouse
positive economic impact. gases (GHG) like methane and carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere
The economic contribution of waste pickers
contribute to global warming and climate
should also not be overlooked. Informal
change.
recycling in Jakarta reduces the volume
of waste by approximately 30 percent, Many environmental impacts occur from
thereby saving on collection and disposal waste management. These have been
costs, and extending the life of land ills. discussed below.
In major Indian cities such as Delhi and
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Bangalore, waste pickers prevent at least
15 percent of MSW going to land ill, saving • A study showed that in Delhi,
the government around US$13,700 per day wastepickers have saved over
in waste collection and disposal costs. 962,000 CO2 tons per annum, which
is nearly 3.6% higher than any
Environment waste project approved for CDM1.
Producing waste directly impacts climate
change because it is linked to global
21Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Estimated Average Annual GHG Emissions Reductions
962,133
Metric Tones of CO2e
262,791
33,451 40,308 64,599
Okhla MSW Chandigrah RDF Vijyawada RDF Timarpur-Okhla Informal
Composting WTE Plant WTE Plant RDF WTE Plant Recyclers
Plant (Delhi) (Chandigrah) (Andhra (Delhi) (Delhi)
Pradesh)
• About 6% of India’s greenhouse gas estimated that the MSW generation and
emissions are on account of solid disposal resulted in the emission of 12.69
waste. This is double that of the rest million tons of CO2 eq in 2007.14
of Asia and is a poor record. Recycling
Conventional greenhouse gas inventory
is a well known way to reduce such
data indicates that the waste disposal
emissions.
sector in the US was solely responsible for
• GHG emissions from waste sector have 2.6 percent of all GHG emissions in 2005.15
increased from 23.23 (1.9 percent) Further, wasting was linked to 36.7 percent
in 1994 to 57.73 (3 percent) in 2007, of total GHG emissions in the US in 2005.In
calculates the environment ministry’s 2005, greenhouse gas emissions from waste
report. 13 management represented about 2 percent of
total emissions in the European Union.16
According to a May 2010 report of the Union
Environment Ministry, ‘India: Greenhouse Total emissions in the US in 2014 were
Gas Emissions 2007’, GHG emissions from 6,870 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents.
India’s waste sector was 57.73 million tons 14 India: Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2007, Ministry of
of CO2 eq in 2007, which was three percent environment and forests, May 2010. Available at:
of the net CO2 eq emissions that year. http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/
Report_INCCA.pdf
Waste sector includes GHG emissions from 15 Stop Trashing the Climate, June 2008, Institute of Local
municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial Self-Reliance, Washington DC. Available at:
http://www.zerowarming.org/downloads/Stop%20
and domestic waste water. The report also Trashing%20the%20Climate%20Report%20
Executive%20Summary%20-%20low%20res.pdf
13 India: Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2007, Ministry of 16 Better management of municipal waste will reduce
environment and forests, May 2010. Available at: greenhouse gas emissions, EEA Brie ing 2008: 01, European
http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/ Environment Agency. Available at: www.eea.europa.eu/
Report_INCCA.pdf publications/brie ing.../EN_Brie ing_01-2008.pdf
22Land-use change and forestry offsets about around 1.5-2 kg CO2-e is saved.
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
11 percent carbon in the Unites States.
Production of virgin aluminium requires
After waste prevention, recycling has been 10-20 times more energy than recycling
shown to result in the highest climate aluminium. Production of virgin steel
bene it. For instance, in the US, recycling requires around two times as much
materials found in MSW resulted in the energy as production of steel from
avoidance of around 183 Mt CO2-e in 2006. recycled scrap.18
17
For every kilogram of plastic recycled,
18 Alison Smith et al 2001, Waste Management Options
17 Alison Smith et al 2001, Waste Management Options and and Climate Change, July, p 30. Available at:
Climate Change, July, p 30. Available at: http://ec.europa. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/studies/pdf/
eu/environment/waste/studies/pdf/climate_change.pdf climate_change.pdf
Box 1: Wastepickers can combat Delhi’s Pollution
Delhi has been suffering from an air pollution crisis. This pollution is attributable to
many reasons. While vehicular pollution is a key contributor, an in luential study by
IIT Delhi, released in 2016, also pointed to the role of burning Municipal Solid Waste.
According to the study, about 2-3% of the 8,390 tons/day of MSW generated is openly
burned. This amounts to about 250 tons per day, or the waste of about 5 lakh residents.
The estimated emissions are: 2,000 kg/day of PM10 and about 1,800 kg of PM2.5. MSW
burning contributes nearly 10 percent of PM10 and PM2.5 to ambient air in winters.
Stopping this can possibly see an improvement of 5-10 percent in air quality.
Hence, it is clear that controlling air pollution must include controlling burning waste.
The sources of waste burning are many, but a key one is spontaneous combustion of
waste on land ills. Here, methane, a highly combustible gas formed by rotting wet
waste, burns and spreads, often underground, setting more sections of the land ill on
ire, and also burning any plastic bags in the waste.
A key strategy for this is to divert waste from the land ills of Delhi.
To do this, it is vital to compost the 45-50% of the wet waste in Delhi. How can we do this?
• Compost locally: transportation will only increase pollution
• RWAs and market associations, including with multiple restaurants, must
compost within 2 kilometers of their location.
• Existing wastepickers currently all over India, and in limited cases, in Delhi, are
engaged in undertaking this composting.
• Sales of compost will have to be facilitated by the Delhi Government, and all
establishments in Delhi can play their part by purchasing compost from waste
made by small composters (less than 10 tons a day)
By doing this, we can reduce the land ill load by upto 70%, reducing the burning and
protecting all citizens from some sources of air pollution.
23Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists Segregation prominent over long periods of time,
Waste can be separated into different making it 72 times more potent than
elements in order to make its collection carbon dioxide over a 20 year time frame.21
ef icient. Waste sorting can be done in many In a majority of countries around the
ways, including through curb side collection, world, including India, controlled and
in material recovery facilities, or biological uncontrolled land illing of untreated
treatment systems. Sorting can also be done waste is the primary method of disposal.
manually at home. Source segregation of For every ton of discarded products and
waste is the most preferred option as the materials destroyed by incinerators and
irst step to waste disposal. land ills, about 71 tons of manufacturing,
Waste is collected and sorted in at least mining, oil and gas exploration,
42 distinct categories, such as paper, agricultural, coal combustion, and other
newspaper, cardboard, plastics, glass, metal, discards are produced.22
rubber, etc.
Circular Economy and Recycling
Source segregation reduces the total volume
The informal waste sector in developing
of waste sent to land ills. It also allows for
countries plays a crucial role in recycling
better recovery of materials from pre-sorted
waste materials and reducing GHG
waste by waste pickers and other waste
emissions, though their role is still not
service providers. By segregating at source,
acknowledged and highlighted by the
a number of unwanted or hazardous wastes
municipal bodies.
are able to be disposed separately without
making toxic the entire stream of waste. • Environmental bene its from the
It allows for value addition to waste when work of wastepickers are primarily
segregated. understood as ef icient recycling of
According to a July 2001 report of the materials (and therefore, conservation
European Commission, source segregation of resources) and additionally, saving
of municipal solid waste (MSW) followed green house gas emissions via this
process.
by recycling (for paper, metals, textiles
and plastics) and composting /anaerobic • Wastepickers follow a regenerative
digestion (for putrescible wastes) gives and restorative model by recovering
the lowest net lux of greenhouse gases, waste and reintroducing them in the
compared with other options for the materials chain.
treatment of bulk MSW.19
• There is considerable value addition
One of the largest sources of GHG emissions to discarded materials. For example, a
from the management of solid wastes comes single unit of plastic rises in value by
from incineration, estimated to contribute 750% 2 prior to even being sold as a
around 40 Mt CO2-e, claims a 2010 report new recycled product in the market.
of UNEP.20 The effects of methane are most
19 Alison Smith et al 2001, Waste Management Options and 21 Stop Trashing the Climate, June 2008, Institute of Local
Climate Change, July, p iii. Available at: http://ec.europa. Self-Reliance, Washington DC. Available at: http://www.
eu/environment/waste/studies/pdf/climate_change.pdf zerowarming.org/downloads/Stop%20Trashing%20
20 UNEP 2010, Waste and Climate Change. Available the%20Climate%20Report%20Executive%20
at: http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/spc/ Summary%20-%20low%20res.pdf
Waste&ClimateChange/Waste&ClimateChange.pdf 22 Ibid.
24Table 2: Global city-wise waste recovery (in tonnes and percent)
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
City Tonnes Percent Percent Percent Total Total
recovered, materials recovered recovered percent percent
all sectors prevented or by formal by recycled to agri-
recovered sector informal as cultural
sector materials value chain
Adelaide 2,611,214 54% 54% 0% 28% 26%
Bamako 392,893 85% 0% 85% 25% 31%
Bengaluru 524,688 25% 10% 15% 15% 10%
Belo Horizonte 145,134 7% 0.1% 6.9% 6.9% 0.1%
Canete 1,412 12% 1% 11% 12% 0%
Curepipe NA NA NA NA NA NA
Delhi 841,070 33% 7% 27% 27% 7%
Dhaka 210,240 18% 0% 18% 16% 2%
Ghorahi 365 11% 2% 9% 11% NA
Kunming 600,000 38% 38% NA 38% 0.05%
Lusaka 17,446 6% 4% 2% 6% NA
Managua 78,840 19% 3% 15% 17% 2%
Moshi 11,169 18% 0% 18% NA 18%
Nairobi 210,240 24% NA NA 20% 4%
Quezon City 287,972 39% 8% 31% 37% 2%
Rotterdam 90,897 30% 30% 0% 28% 1%
San Francisco 366,762 72% 72% 0% 46% 26%
Sousse 4,168 6% 0% 6% 2% 4%
Tompkins 36,495 61% 61% 0% 61% NA
County
Varna 37,414 27% 2% 26% 27% NA
Average 30% 16% 15% 23% 9%
Median 25% 4% 11% 22% 4%
Source: Solid Waste Management in the World’s Cities, Water and Sanitation in the World's Cities 2010.
UNHABITAT
Waste prevention and recycling help transportation of waste and less dumping
address global climate change by of waste in the land ills. The ultimate
decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas goal of any good solid waste management
emissions and saving energy. Reduce and system has to be minimisation of waste
reuse of waste means less mining, less generation.
25Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists Livelihoods Another area to consider is that of
Many developing and transitional country self-employment. While wastepickers’s
cities still have active formal and informal contributions are not re lected in the
sector recycling, reuse, and repair systems, GDP, they are an important contributor
which are achieving recycling rates to generating incomes, wealth and
comparable to those in the West, at no cost jobs. By being self employed, as against
to the formal waste management sector. unemployed, they are able to invest in
Not only does the informal recycling sector the well being of the next generation
provide livelihoods to huge numbers of and productively contribute through
the urban poor, thus contributing to the environmental services to the city.
Millennium Development Goals, but may In India, the issue of livelihoods becomes
save the city as much as 15-20% of its particularly important as over 93%
waste management budget, by reducing of jobs in the country are located in
the amount of wastes that would otherwise the informal sector and provide the
have to be collected and disposed of by the poor with a means of livelihoods and
City. In effect, the poor are subsidising the therefore, survival.
rest of the city.
Table 3: City wise livelihood and employment in informal sector
City Total no. of Total Ratio of persons Informal sector
livelihoods employment working in the households
in informal in the formal informal waste depending fully
waste sector waste sector sector to those on income from
(persons) (persons) employed in the informal waste and
formal waste sector recycling activities
Cairo 33,000 6,750 4.9 91%
Cluj 3,226 330 9.8 n/a
Lima (1) 17,643 13,777 1.3 88%
Lusaka 480 800 0.6 69%
Pune 8,850 4,545 1.9 63%
Quezon 10,105 5,591 1.8 82%
Total/Avg 73,304 31,793 *2.3 **79%
Source: Scheinberg, Anne, Michael H. Simpson, et al (2010): “Economic Aspects of the Informal Sector in
Solid Waste.” GTZ (German Technical Cooperation), Eschborn, Germany.
Given that approximately 15 lakh people depend on wastepicking as a livelihood, this form of
self-employment has direct implications for eradication of child labour, health and nutrition,
education of children, particularly girls and smaller families as secure adult livelihoods are seen
to reduce child labour and foster education.
26V. What challenges do they face?
Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Challenges i. Occupational health and safety risks:
Approximately 1% of India’s urban A large number of international
population comprises of the informal sector and national studies conducted by
waste recyclers, engaged in collection of independent health researchers and non-
waste from doorsteps, garbage stations, pro it organizations have documented
land ills, roadsides, factories, etc. Their the impact of improper waste disposal
livelihood depends entirely on their on the health of waste pickers, ranging
ability to collect and sell recyclables from from skin rashes to tuberculosis. Because
waste. In the process of making a meagre of the nature of their work, the life
livelihood, they provide a crucial public expectancy of waste pickers also falls
health and environmental service to the systematically far below the national
city, despite being marginalized from average, with the igure for India
mainstream society and not receiving the being a dramatic 39 years old (BS B2B
recognition and legitimacy, they deserve. Bureau, 2014)23. Data from Denmark,
Since waste generation, rates are increasing, Switzerland, Italy, Romania and the
governments and urban local bodies across US reveals that waste handlers are at
India are contracting out these services to six times more exposed to infectious
big private companies. Such privatization diseases than other professions, they
of waste is a direct threat to the livelihood face 2.6 times more risk to contract
of informal sector waste recyclers and allergic and pulmonary disease, 1.4 times
results in reduced access to waste and for non-allergic pulmonary diseases,
recyclable materials, shifting to even lower
23 BS B2B Bureau. (2014). Mindtree launches cloud-based
paid occupations, enlistment of previously technology platform for waste pickers. Business Standard.
non-working family members such as Available at: http://www.business-standard.com/
content/b2b-manufacturing-industry/mindtree-launches-
children into the workforce, and increased cloud-based-technology-platform-for-waste-pickers-
dependence on loans. 114061800911_1.html
27Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists 2.5 times for risk for chronic bronchitis, Table 4: Ailments commonly suffered by
1.2 times increased risk of hepatitis, waste pickers in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune
three times more risk for parasites,
10 times more risk for acute diarrhoea, Disease Affected waste
two times more risk for coronary pickers (%)
disease, 1.3 times more risk for injury, Back/legs/body pain 70
10 times more risk for accidents, and Fever 26.66
1.9 times more risk for musculoskeletal
problems (Samuel, n.d)24. Cough 16.66
Skin disease 21.66
A study of informal waste pickers at
Asthma 8.33
the dumpsite of Managua in Nicaragua
found them to be exposed to very high Tuberculosis 8.33
concentrations of pollutants. For one, Source: Sharma and Hebalkar (2013)
blood analysis of children between
11 years and 15 years showed high Another study of 1,777 women waste
traces of polybrominated diphenyl pickers from 2009-10 carried out by
ethers (PBDEs, a chemical lame Pune-based Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari
retardant), heavy metals, pesticides Panchayat (KKPKP) found that more
and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) than 70 percent women had chronic
(Samarth, 2014)25. Researcher blamed musculoskeletal symptoms, 30 percent
the direct contact with contaminants had problems related to monthly
contained in waste, inhalation of periods, 25 percent had symptoms of
contaminated particulate material and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) infection, and
dust, and the consumption of polluted 10 percent had symptoms of respiratory
food. tract infection/sexually transmissible
infections (Samarth, 2014)26.
The situation is no different in India.
Last year, two researchers conducted Interviews with wastepickers close
a health survey among 60 randomly to Hyderabad’s dumping yard at
selected waste pickers in Pimpri- Jawahar Nagar, between September
Chinchwad, near Pune, Maharashtra. and December 2009, indicated that
Ninety-nine percent were women, and 82 percent had wounds or injuries;
the results show waste pickers suffer six percent experienced acute body
systematically from diseases including pain, and ive percent had skin or lung
asthma and tuberculosis (Sharma and diseases. Only seven percent said that
Hebalkar, 2013; see table below). they had not faced any health problem
(Devi, Swami and Krishna, 2014). Studies
on the health of waste pickers have
24 Samuel, J. (n.d.). Assessment of selected occupational
health problems of waste handlers. Available at:
also been done in New Delhi, where the
www.rguhs.ac.in/cdc/onlinecdc/uploads/05_ highest number of waste pickers in the
N003_13653.doc
25 Samarth, U. (2014). The Occupational Health of Waste 26 Samarth, U. (2014). The Occupational Health of Waste
Pickers in Pune: KKPKP and SWaCH Members Push for Pickers in Pune: KKPKP and SWaCH Members Push for
Health Rights. Available at: http://wiego.org/sites/ Health Rights. Available at: http://wiego.org/sites/wiego.
wiego.org/ iles/publications/ iles/Samarth_OHS_ org/ iles/publications/ iles/Samarth_OHS_Health_of_WP_
Health_of_WP_in_Pune.pdf in_Pune.pdf
28Wastepickers: Delhi’s Forgotten Environmentalists
Box 2: Story of Saira Bano
Saira Bano is a 32 years old woman who lives next to the Bhalaswa dumping ground,
in northeast Delhi. The only memory Bano has of her childhood is walking the streets
of Delhi with her parents, sifting through garbage, occasionally cutting herself doing
it and often falling sick. Her present, however, is not much different from her past.
Earlier, as a young girl she used to accompany her parents. Now, one generation later,
it’s her children who are walking along with her, picking up recyclables as they walk.
Every day feels like a déjà vu for Bano.
“In the profession of waste pickers like me, there is no day and no night. We sift
through garbage all the time. Every morning, I leave home at 3 am to pick up waste.
In between, I return home to cook food and do household chores. Once that is done, I
am again out of the house to collect waste,” says Bano, who gets bruises on her hands
and feet daily, but does not think her wounds merits any mention. “I have lost count
of the number of wounds I daily get while sifting through waste. One thing I can tell
you, headaches in Delhi’s peak heat are unbearable. No medicine works to control it. I
know so many waste pickers who have died complaining of headache, but could never
afford to consult a senior doctor at any hospital, you just never get used to it like other
things”, she adds.
Bano is part of the ubiquitous community of waste pickers (1-2 percent of the total
urban population in developing countries) who make a bare living by salvaging
recyclables from waste and selling them to scrap dealers. Informal waste pickers,
waste recyclers and small scrap dealers form together a robust informal sector that is
the backbone of the recycling industry. Though there is no of icial national-level data,
it is estimated that about 15 lakh people across India depend on Wastepicking to make
a living.
country works. A 2004 scienti ic study and cellular changes in the airways of
on the health of 98 waste pickers and 60 wastepickers: “Wastepickers suffer from
controls from Delhi found respiratory a multitude of health problems which
symptoms and lung function decrement seem related to their occupation” (Lahiri,
in 94 percent and 52 percent of the 2004)27.
waste pickers respectively, compared
Chintan conducted comprehensive
with 56 percent and 34 percent in
studies of the health conditions of waste
control groups. Waste pickers also
pickers in New Delhi. Results of its 2003
showed a higher prevalence of low
study show high disease burden. Eighty
haemoglobin, high circulating eosinophil
and monocyte counts, unhealthy gums,
frequent diarrhoea, and dermatitis, 27 Lahiri, T. (2003). Respiratory and general health
impairments of ragpickers in India: A study in Delhi.
compared with control group results. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental
Researchers also found in lammation Health, 77(8), 595-598.
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